3-day padayatra concludes

Mangaluru: The three-day padayatra organised by district Congress leaders to protest the abrupt stoppage of roadworks on National Highway 75 concluded at BC Road on Wednesday.

The padayatra, led by Congress leader and former district in-charge minister B. Ramanath Rai began from Nelyadi on January 14 during which the leaders covered 42 km stretch of the highway in the district by foot. 

Named as ‘Rastriya Heddari Poornagolisi, Janara Jeeva Ulisi’ – which translates to ‘Complete National Highway, Save Lives’, the protest   highlighted the “failures” of Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament, Dakshina Kannada and demanded immediate resumption of the highway widening and upgrading works between Adda Hole and BC Road.

Addressing a gathering at BC Road at the valedictory function on Wednesday, Rai said, “Kateel is a self-declared No 1 Member of Parliament.” The former Minister said that those who have been elected to Parliament from the erstwhile Mangaluru Parliamentary Constituency from the Congress were the “real No 1 Members of Parliament”.

Further Rai claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus was on promoting the corporate sector.

Minister for Urban Development and district in-charge U.T. Khader, U.B. Venkatesh and Savita Ramesh, general secretaries, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spoke at the event.